Process of producing manganese silicid.



o. 866,597. PATENTED SEPT. 17, 1907. E. F. PRICE.

PROCESS OF PRODUCING MANGANESE SILIGID.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 14. 1905.

4' @4461 fzdf/m I WNETEE trrnrfrns Pr it'lilifilit i @FFIGE.

EDGA it F. Pltlt'lll, OF NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO ELECTRO METALLURGICAL l A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

Speeifieatien of Letters'latent.

Patented Sept. 17;].90'F.

Application filed November 14:, 1905. Serial No. 287,349.

)itlltl;1 to this PLYH'OSF. a tharfle (")tlttlitlii-tfl romnounds ul manganese and silicon is sun-lied in an electrie-artt'urnate, carbon being: added to the charge in amount sultirit-nt to not only (-tl xt. redurtion oi the manganese and silicon but. also to prote -t the earbon elm-trodes ront oxidation.

A t-onsiderabln body oi ilw charge is maintained around the depending t"-le trodet electrodes, and tho redut'tion, u'i thtlrawal oi the produrt and supply of the clntrge-niixtuz'e are (Utttlttt'tCd as a. contintnais operation. The potential dil'l'erem-e between the (liltttOLiO terminals is preierablv kept at the minimum value requisite ior the maintenant'e of an are, to prevent leakage oi rurrent through the rharge.

A suitable are lurnnt'e is shown in the avrompairving (.h'au'ing, in \Vllit'll the ligure is an axial seetion through the tap-holes.

The turnaro romnrisos sides it of refractory material, Hllt'll as mirborundum, siloxjron, silira or (-arbon and a hearth J of earbon surrounded by a metal easing 1 having an ('lt 'lt'lt' terminal It. The earbon hearth t'onsliluttw ouo t'lttli' tl" :lllti the hi her olm'trode is a dep nding varbou rod t. 'lonholvs' It. ti tor slag and metal or" employing this lurnave to (arrv out the llrot'essjan art is establish d between the depending clot-trade and the lt-lltl through the side walls at (lil'lt-rtut heights.

I (tnbon hearth and a small amount oi the t'harge, for example a mixtur ol pyrolusite, siliea and earbon, the

The turn-are is then eixuluallv tilled until in its normal \vorkim rondition the tlOlitiltilllfJ; tlttlltltlL' is embedded in the (harem, as illustrated. .\s the manganese and silit-on are reduted,

rarbon beiuu; in ext-ess. is led in.

a layer of molten manganese silit'id voile-t s in the bot- 1 ind may be removed from time to tom oi the [urn-art time through the tayhole ll tire char e contains inipurities, any resulting slag maybe removed through the tan-hole :3. it will be seen that; the deep body ol the ohargo surrounding the dependingelet-trodt- 'l iclil ively proteets it from oxidation and retains t. heat. within the furnace, both increasing the produrtion o1 metal and maintaining the produrt in a molten nondition Without espet'ial attention. The use of this deep body is mad po. .ible by. and makes it. important. to employ, the minimum potential diiierenre between the elevtrnde terminals, to prevent exeessive waste oi rurrent by shunting through the rharge. The inmate is operated ('mitinuously the product being drawn off and the (-lmrgtsrnixture added-as required.

The process may obviously be carried out in a iurnaee having two depending electrodes of opposite polarity, the are being sprung between the lower ends oi the elertrodes or between each electrode and the carbon hearth.

I Mann? 1. The nrnt-vss oi producing inanuanesu silieid h v smelt in a (-11.11 4: of compounds of manganese and silieon and (-arbon, \vhn'h ronsists in establishing an eleet'ritare within the rhare'e. surrounding the zone of rerlm-t'ion and prottwting the electrode or electrodes by a considerable body of the charge. and \vithdranin the prndurt' and supplying the elnn'a'e-mixture as required. as set forth.

2. The hl'ot'ess oi produt'iu; niangzane. silieitl b v stiletta vhareo ol' eoutnoumls of manganese and silicon and bun, \vhh-h eonsists. in establishing nu t-let-t'rir are within the rhal'zr .lltl' lttltlitlj; the zone f l-t-tlmtion and prolw-tilti', the i""ll'lltll or elm-trodes by eonsillernbin bully nl' Ibo rhargt. and nmintainiiu; llll\\"l'll the el ctrode terminals the minimum potentinl llitl't-l nve Itqllisil to (-lTt-et rtwturtiun. llltlt'll) preventing t'.\('l. leakag through th t'hnrul'. as set lurlh.

3. The nrot-ess o1 prodm-inu manganese Sillt'itl by smeltint: :i "hare-e of compounds of nnuurannso and sillt'on and carbon, whit-h eons is in establishing an electric arc within the charge. surrounding the zone of reduction and protm-tiny; the electrode or electrodes by a considerable body of the charge. maintaining between the OltEt'htltlu ttll'litiltflls the minimum potential difi'erence requisite to etlret l'(tltl(f tion thereby preventing excessive loss of current by leake loss of rurront by 

